Scope too light for mount

[matt_baker]

So this will seem very overkill but I mounted my 130PDS on my local obsy CGE mount.

Now with everything attached and the 10kg counterweight pushed all the way up, it's still way too heavy.

I do have one idea to counteract this and it's to use a spare 102mm refractor and stick it on top as a beefy guidescope and to add extra weight.

I don't really want to spend £60 on a 5kg weight that's for the G11 but the hole diameter on the CW is 1.25 inch

Any ideas?

[banjaxed]

You often see weights advertised on Astroboot and ABS for reasonable prices.

[Greymouser]

I seem to remember someone using a weightlifting weight, as a cheaper alternative, but I am not certain. Nor do I know the hole size, which I suspect varies weight to weight, but maybe worth a look.

[matt_baker]

I do have some weights but unfortunately the bore diameter is 1 inch, not 1.25

[ollypenrice]

You could just get a length of square section steel tube (probably an offcut from a local metal yard) drill it and bolt it to your dovetail and then bolt your tube rings to the opposite side of the steel. The steel between the dovetail and the scope will put the scope further from the saddle plate, considerably increasing its moment.

Olly

[Peter Drew]

Try it without a counterweight.      🙂

[matt_baker]

1 hour ago, ollypenrice said:

You could just get a length of square section steel tube (probably an offcut from a local metal yard) drill it and bolt it to your dovetail and then bolt your tube rings to the opposite side of the steel. The steel between the dovetail and the scope will put the scope further from the saddle plate, considerably increasing its moment.

Olly

I like the idea, unfortunately I don't have access to a drill that'll do the job, only my dad's knackered 20 year old Bosch

 

1 hour ago, Peter Drew said:

Try it without a counterweight.      🙂

I did but the scope was way too heavy

 

 

I've ordered the tube rings that'll arrive on Monday hopefully and I'll see if that'll do the trick. My telescope weighs 4kg, the ST102 is about 3kg, camera is ~700g with coma corrector, and the tube rings for the 102 are about 500g, so all in all, it brings the total closer to 10kg

Edited May 8, 2020 by matt_baker

[MarkAR]

Hang a bag of stones from the end of the bar.